NFL to Pay $765M to Settle Concussion Lawsuits

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The NFL has agreed to spend close to $800 million to diagnose and compensate potentially hundreds of retired players who may be suffering from dementia and other brain disorders they blame on the violent, bone-jarring collisions that pro football has long celebrated in its highlight reels.

The settlement, which is subject to approval by a federal judge, was announced Thursday after months of court-ordered mediation. It came just days before the first game of the 2013 season, removing a major legal and financial threat hanging over the NFL.

More than 4,500 former athletes — some suffering from dementia, depression or Alzheimer’s that they blamed on blows to the head — have sued the NFL since the first case was filed in Philadelphia in 2011. They accused the league of concealing the long-term dangers of concussions and rushing injured players back onto the field, while glorifying and profiting from the game’s violence.

The settlement would cover all 18,000 former NFL players and totals $765 million, the vast majority of which would go to compensate athletes with certain neurological ailments. It would also set aside $75 million for medical exams and $10 million for medical research.

Individual payouts would be capped at $5 million for men with Alzheimer’s disease; $4 million for those diagnosed after their deaths with a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy; and $3 million for players with dementia, said lead plaintiffs’ lawyer Christopher Seeger.

The NFL has insisted that safety has always been a top priority, and in settling the thousands of cases it admitted no wrongdoing.

“This agreement lets us help those who need it most and continue our work to make the game safer for current and future players,” NFL executive vice president Jeffrey Pash said in a statement. He added: “We thought it was critical to get more help to players and families who deserve it rather than spend many years and millions of dollars on litigation.”

He said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the team owners told pro football’s lawyers to “do the right thing for the game and for the men who played it.”

The plaintiffs include Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon and the family of Pro Bowl selection Junior Seau, who committed suicide last year.

Kevin Turner, a former running back with the Patriots and Eagles who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, thanked the two sides for reaching an agreement that he thought most ex-players would support.

“Chances are … I won’t make it to 50 or 60,” said Turner, now 44. “I have money now to put back for my children to go to college and for a little something to be there financially.”

All former NFL players are eligible to seek care, screening or compensation. The amounts they receive will be based on their age, condition and years of play.

Players’ lawyers said they expect the fund to cover the ex-athletes’ expenses for 65 years. Current players are not covered.

Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia announced the proposed agreement and will consider approving it at a later date.